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- Luke Chapter 23 (part 2)
Good morning! ☀️
"When disciples followed a rabbi, they followed him closely so they would never be out of his sight, never be someplace where they couldn’t hear him speak. They followed him so closely that his sandals often kicked up dust."
May you be covered in His dust.
If this is your first time getting Covered in His Dust, WELCOME!
Read Chapter 23 before reading my notes. They’ll make more sense.
Access previous notes on Luke by signing into your account. Click 'Read Online' at the top right of this post and scroll down to find them waiting for you.
"Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."
In Latin, it was written as "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum," often abbreviated as INRI. This inscription was placed by the order of Pontius Pilate and was written in three languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
The inscription on the cross of Jesus angered many of the Jewish leaders, particularly the Pharisees and the religious elite. They saw it as a provocative and insulting statement. According to the Gospel of John, the chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate:
"So the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, 'Do not write, "The King of the Jews," but rather, "This man said, I am King of the Jews."' Pilate answered, 'What I have written I have written.'"
Jesus most likely spoke Aramaic as his primary language. Aramaic was the most commonly spoken language of the Jewish people in Palestine during the first century.
Jesus speaking in Aramaic:
Mark 5:41: "Taking her by the hand he said to her, 'Talitha cumi,' which means, 'Little girl, I say to you, arise.'"
Mark 7:34: "And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, 'Ephphatha,' that is, 'Be opened.'"
Mark 15:34: "And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'"
It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour,
In Jewish timekeeping, the day was divided into twelve hours, starting at sunrise (around 6 AM) and ending at sunset (around 6 PM). Here’s how the times translate:
The sixth hour would be around noon (12 PM), and the ninth hour would be around 3 PM.
So, the passage "It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour" means that there was darkness from about noon until about 3 PM.
Why are those details included?
Fulfillment of prophesy… again.
"And on that day," declares the Lord God, "I will make the sun go down at noon and darken the earth in broad daylight."
Whenever I read and study the Bible, I want to make sure that scripture isn’t “cherry-picked” to fit the narrative.
What do I mean?
In this case, I wanted to make sure the scripture used to show Jesus fulfilling prophesy wasn’t pulled out of context.
Let’s take a wider lens and read more of what the Prophet Amos wrote.
Amos was a prophet during a time of relative prosperity in Israel but also a time of significant social injustice, idolatry, and complacency among the people. His prophecies often warned of God's impending judgment due to these issues.
"I will turn your feasts into mourning and all your songs into lamentation"
This means that religious festivals and festivities will turn into times of judgment and grief, and God's judgment will interrupt celebrations.
"I will bring sackcloth on every waist and baldness on every head"
Sackcloth and baldness were traditional signs of mourning and repentance in ancient Israel. This shows that there will be widespread grief and sorrow throughout the land.
"I will make it like the mourning for an only son"
Mourning for an only son was seen as the deepest kind of grief because an only son was the family's future hope and heir. This connects to Jesus being God's only Son, emphasizing the profound sorrow and significance of the event.
"And the end of it like a bitter day"
The result of all these events will be extremely bitter and sorrowful, showing how severe the judgment will be. This connects to God's judgment on humanity through Jesus on the cross, where He took on our sins, making it a deeply significant and sorrowful moment.
👆🏽The prophet Amos speaking 750 years before Jesus.
For most of my life, I thought there were only a few prophecies fulfilled in Jesus. But as I study the Gospel of Luke, I’ve realized there are so many that point directly to Him.
Luke carefully connects Jesus' life, death, and resurrection to the Old Testament prophecies, showing how He fulfills God’s promises. This has really strengthened my faith and appreciation for how all Scripture reveals the truth of Jesus Christ.
And the curtain of the temple was torn in two.
The tearing of the temple curtain at the moment of Jesus' death holds deep symbolic meaning for us as Christians.
The curtain separated the Holy of Holies, the most sacred part of the temple where God's presence was believed to dwell, from the rest of the temple. Only the high priest could enter this area, and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. When the curtain tore, it signified that through Jesus' death, all people, not just the high priest, now have direct access to God.
It also marked the end of the Old Covenant, which was based on the law and animal sacrifices, and the beginning of the New Covenant established through Jesus' sacrifice.
The torn curtain symbolizes that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for the atonement of sins, opening the way for everyone to have a direct relationship with God.
Jesus’ final words
Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.
Jesus’ words fulfill the prophecy from Psalm 31:5, which says,
"Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
By quoting this Psalm, Jesus connects His death to the Bible's predictions, showing that He is part of God's plan to save humanity. It means He willingly gave up His life, trusting God with His spirit, confirming that He is truly God's Son.
Even as He was dying, Jesus showed total faith in God, setting an example for believers to trust God even when facing death.
For the religious leaders and scholars who heard Him, Jesus' words would have reminded them of Psalm 31, which talks about God's faithfulness and saving the righteous. This might have made them think more deeply about Jesus' life and what He taught.
A centurion was an officer in the Roman army who led a group of about 80 soldiers, even though the name suggests 100.
I can’t count how many times I’ve finished Luke Chapter 23 so I could move on to Chapter 24 and then the Gospel of John.
I’ve treated Bible reading like a chore for most of my life. As a missionary, that’s embarrassing to admit.
I missed the chance to experience the Bible’s true depth and meaning.
I missed the connection with God that comes through His word.
I missed the opportunity to let God’s word shape my daily life.
Lazy faith.
As the chapter closes, let’s make sure we don’t miss important details.
This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.
Joseph was a respected member of the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin, which was the highest religious authority among the Jews (Mark 15:43).
He is described as a good and righteous man who did not consent to the Sanhedrin's decision to condemn Jesus (Luke 23:50-51).
Although a member of the Sanhedrin, Joseph was a secret disciple of Jesus, fearing the repercussions from the Jewish leaders (John 19:38).
Joseph of Arimathea's actions fulfill the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9, which says the Messiah would be buried with the rich. Joseph, being a wealthy man, provided his own new tomb for Jesus' burial, making this prophecy come true.
"And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth."
"Nicodemus also, who earlier had come to Jesus by night, came bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds in weight. So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews."
Common burial practices:
The body would be washed and cleaned as a sign of respect and purification.
The body would be wrapped in a simple linen cloth, often with a face cloth or napkin over the head.
The use of spices was to honor the deceased and to help mitigate the smell of decay. For an average burial, the amount of spices might range from a few ounces to a few pounds.
The sheer quantity of spices purchased by Nicodemus is similar to the amount of spices used for a king's burial.
*** Graphic content.
Por La Via Dolorosa - “The way of suffering.”
That’s it for today
One more chapter. Are you ready?
I’m switching it up and will be posting on Fridays and Tuesdays. This will give me a chance to rest on Sunday and spend time with my family without the pressure to post my notes on Monday.
I love you,
George
Uncovering Scripture
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George Sisneros serves as a full-time missionary in Guatemala. He is the founder of Ordinary Missionaries and the El Rosario Christian Academy for Boys.
He’s been married to his wife, Vonda, for 25 years. He’s a father to nine children, five adopted.
George and his family will be expanding to Cuba in 2024.